Bell 206B N911KH

Summary

On 1 December 2001 at about 19:15 local time, a Bell 206B registered N911KH, operated by Alladin Air Service, was involved in an accident near Bryce, Utah, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 December 2001 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bryce, Utah, United States

Coordinates

37.6404, -112.0807

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N911KH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Alladin Air Service

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bryce → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA013

3 people were seriously injured.

loss of engine power for reasons undetermined. Contributing factors were the low airspeed and altitude at which to perform an autorotation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was fueled to capacity the evening before, and the engine compartment was preheated before departure. Preflight inspection revealed no frost on the airframe or rotor blades. The particle separator was clean and dry. Engine start and takeoff were normal. After crossing a highway 1/2 mile south from the heliport, at an airspeed "in excess of 50 mph [and] at an altitude of approximately 50-70 feet," the engine "flamed out." There was a noticeable yaw and the pilot heard "the sound of the engine shutting off." He autorotated towards a highway right-of-way. The helicopter struck the ground hard and slid 20 to 30 feet. "Mast bumping" broke the rotor head off. It struck the rear of the helicopter, severing the tail section. The helicopter spun around and rolled over on its right side. Postaccident examination disclosed no fuel remaining because the rear skid leg had punctured the fuel tank. The pilot and his two passengers had been drenched with fuel when they evacuated the helicopter. All fuel lines and fuel filter were intact, free of debris, and contained fuel. The turbine and compressor turned freely by hand. The pilot said he noted dirt on the inside of the cap "consistent with the dirt at the crash site." Later, he wrote that "the dirt on the inside of the fuel cap was orange, the same color as at the heliport. The dirt at the crash site is more brown native soil." He noted vehicle tracks in the snow behind the helipad. Footprints led from the tire tracks to a small dirt pile and back to the helipad. Suspecting the helicopter may have been sabotaged, the pilot contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) field office in St. George, Utah. He said that in the 6 years the company has been doing business in the Bryce Canyon area, he had been slandered, vandalized, and threatened with death. According to the FBI special agent, his agency would not become involved unless there was "conclusive evidence" that a crime had been committed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.